Safety must not be compromised when developing the smart cities of the future and Critical Communications is the true cornerstone to it, warns Paul Ward, International Sales director of ETELM, a leading manufacturer of advanced Mission Critical Communications systems. Speaking at Broadband World Forum2017, Ward put a focus on new and emerging technologies currently facing market testing, and stressed the importance of smart cities having smart communications solutions as part of the infrastructure from the outset.

“We are living through extraordinary times where rapid technological advancements are being accomplished around the globe,” commented Ward. “However, critical communications solution providers need to ensure that legacy and pre-existing infrastructure can keep pace with the new demands being placed on them, while also future-proofing new solutions and infrastructures to guarantee the challenges of today are not replicated in the future.”

Today, critical communications solution providers face increasing demands as smart cities become a reality. The key issue for any technology investment is to avoid obsolescence and choose a technology that has a long-term future based on non-proprietary technology and one which is introducing new and advanced functionality. Ward explained that this marks an opportunity to integrate advanced critical communications solutions. ETELM believes the ideal approach is to develop a solution based on LTE standards, however the solution must be proven and reliable from inception.

He continued: “The rapid developments we are witnessing are largely being driven by market demand combined with new standards and vendors seeking to gain a competitive advantage. As with all advanced technologies it is essential that users select the most appropriate solution for their specific operational needs - now and in the future. Ideally, technology should be based on open standards which reduce the users’ reliance on single vendors and increase functionality and competition.”

Ward added how interoperability is increasingly important across all technology verticals, with the focus being on TETRA, 4G, and 5G.

“ETELM’s view is that 4G and 5G have a significant role in the future for Mission Critical users and smart services. However, it will take several years for these services be fully tested, reach maturity, and meet all the user requirements. For this reason, our focus is on unifying technologies, which reinvigorate legacy infrastructure while also ensuring it is future-proofed, enabling solutions to be smart city ready, now,” Ward concluded.

ETELM has published a new whitepaper titled “ETELM 4GLinked integrated solution for smart campus communications and security”, which argues that a ‘one-sized-fits-all’ approach to critical communications does not work. The whitepaper explains why new and emerging technologies have the potential to reinvigorate legacy infrastructure such as TETRA, and why the focus must now shift to interoperability as technologies increasingly converge.